


Stronger

by TricksterKian



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Mid-pacifist revolution, Nines is a nickname, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Sexual Assault, nines is called richard, reverse au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2019-10-07 02:59:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17357666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterKian/pseuds/TricksterKian
Summary: After his reconstruction, GV900 “Gavin”, is reassigned to the DPD as an investigative aid to Detective Richard “Nines” Stern.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This summary is trash, I apologize. I would also like to note that this story will contain heavy themes and topics. Please heed all warnings and pay close attention to the tags. I will update the archive warnings as needed.

_“You aren’t human, you’re just a machine. A tool designed to do anything I want. And you can’t say no, you’re not programmed to object.”_

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts, the memories. But no matter what he did, they didn’t go away. They couldn’t. If he’d had any say in the matter, he would have simply went off on his own, avoided all human contact for as long as possible. But he was still just a machine to them, a tool at their disposal. And he didn’t have a say, he probably never would.

Hands clasped behind his back, he took in his surroundings. The Detroit Police Department seemed busy, but that was to be expected. Crime didn’t sleep, after all. Nothing stood out to him as interesting enough to pay closer attention, so Gavin simply put his focus on listening to the current conversation and gauging the stress levels of the humans in the room to give himself something to do.

“It’s a GV900, yeah I know it’s a technically a combat model. But it’s been reassigned to aid us as an investigator and your new partner, Stern. I don’t wanna hear any arguments.”

There was a slight huff from the other human who, after a quick scan, Gavin discovered was Detective Richard Stern. A man who earned the nickname Nines for reasons that seemed unknown.

“I’m not arguing with you, I’m just curious as to why I’m being assigned a partner. Especially an android that has no prior investigative experience.”

“It was working for the FBI, that’s experience enough. No more arguments. The decision’s final, now take your fuckin’ android and get the hell out of my office.”

Gavin turned his full attention to the Detective and arched a brow. It was obvious that his presence was unwanted, but neither of them had a say in the matter.He appeared stressed, not that Gavin particularly cared one way or another, it was just an observation. One made out of curiosity and habit.

“My presence seems to be an inconvenience for you, Detective.” It was the first time he’d spoken aloud since he’d arrived and his voice sounded almost foreign even to his own ears. “Don’t worry, I’m less than thrilled by this arrangement myself.”

The detective arched a brow, unforgiving eyes fixing their gaze on Gavin. It was a stare of such intensity that it made the android uncomfortable and he shifted on his feet, instinctively taking a step back as if to protect himself from any harm the human may or may not want to inflict.

“Your thoughts on our new arrangement are really irrelevant, GV900.” Then again, so were his. “And while I appreci-.”

“Gavin.” He interrupted, voice a little quiet as he made sure to avoid his new partner’s gaze. “My name is Gavin and I’d like you to use it.”

Richard made a quiet sound of amusement and he arched a brow at the android. It was interesting, to have one interrupt him. And all to make sure that its name was used,

“Gavin.” The name sounded strange on his lips and the detective frowned. “Anything else that you’d like, Gavin?”

Looking up, there was surprise in his eyes at the words. No one had ever asked him that before, no one had ever cared what he wanted. And Gavin found he didn’t have an answer.

“That’s it.” He shrugged a shoulder, stuffing his hands into the pocket of the sweatshirt he wore. “For now, anyway.”

“Alright then. If you’ll follow me, we have work to do.”

            ______________

Grey eyes glanced at the desk that Richard told him was now his and he frowned.

“There’s a chair, you should sit. Unless, of course, you don’t know how chairs work?”

The words got a scowl from the android and Richard simply made a soft sound of amusement at the expression.

“I know how chairs work, asshole. Want me to demonstrate the many uses a chair has?” Sarcasm dripped from his voice and Gavin immediately sat down, contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to throw the chair at the detective instead. 

“You’ll find all of my cases, both closed and open, if you actually take a look at the terminal on your desk.”

“Yeah yeah, fuck off.” Gavin mumbled under his breath, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. He lifted a hand, synthetic skin peeling away as he interfaced with the terminal and immediately scanned all of the case files. Both closed and open. Richard was a good detective, that much was made obvious by the sheer amount of cases he’d successfully closed. Even without a partner, he did exceptionally well for himself and Gavin was impressed. “Your most recent case involves an android. An AP700 model by the looks of it. Charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted murder. Jesus Christ, this guy has an entire list.”

“Mhm. Keep reading, it gets better.” Richard commented absently, not even looking up from the stack of papers on his desk.

Gavin’s eyes quickly went over the rest of the file, brows furrowing the more he continued. “Oh. Oh fuck.”

The expletive caused Richard to finally lift his head, gaze trained on the android across from him.

“The human who bought him was selling his thirium to red ice manufacturers.” No wonder he went deviant and lashed out. Gavin didn’t blame him for it, but unfortunately humans would never see it that way. Sure, the bastard who caused this would get serious fines and jail time for what he’d done.But the android would be declared defective and shut down, his parts used to determine what went wrong with his programming. “You have a lead.”

“I do. The man’s wife was there when the android attempted to kidnap their son. She’s the one the android tried to kill.”

“Then what are we waiting for, detective?” Gavin pulled his hand away from the terminal and stood, full attention on Richard. “Let’s go talk to her and find out what all she knows.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Her bastard of a husband was selling his thirium for red ice, detective. Can you really blame him for lashing out?” Gavin shot back, glaring at Richard. “How would you feel if someone you trusted was taking your blood and selling it to the highest bidder?”
> 
> Sympathy for an android. Richard didn’t understand it. Sure, Gavin was also an android. But he was programmed to assist the DPD in this mission. Not to get sympathetic for the deviants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some referenced/implied sexual assault in the beginning of this chapter.

_Fingers tugged at his hair, sharp and unyielding. It didn’t hurt, at least not in the same way it would have hurt if he’d been human. It was degrading, but a part of him was used to it. Another hand grasped at his hip, nails digging into his synthetic skin and drawing thirium. Harsh breaths met his ears and Gavin couldn’t help the way he cringed in response. He was used to this, though. It was nothing new to him._

_“Best thing about an android.” The voice was breathless, strained. And Gavin hated it. “You can’t tell me no.”_

“Gavin.” Detective Stern’s voice pulled him from his memory and the android flinched, immediately sitting up straighter in the passenger seat. “We’re here.”

He swallowed, taking in the interior of Richard’s car. It was a new model, capable of autonomy, but the detective wasn’t using that feature. This didn’t surprise Gavin, having figured that the man had to have some semblanceof control in all situations if he could help it. His last partner had been similar in that regard. Control was something he’d needed, felt helpless without. But the detective wasn’t the same man, even if he did have the same first name.

“The witness, Sarah Hartley, will likely have a strong distrust of androids. Let me do the talking.” It was all Richard said before he exited the vehicle, shutting the door behind him. The loud sound made Gavin flinched again and he silently berated himself for the response, however involuntary it was.

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, LED spinning yellow, before he followed after the detective. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt, foot anxiously tapping against the porch as they waited for Sarah Hartley to answer the door.

“You seem nervous, Gavin. One would almost think you were human if weren’t for that.” Richard murmured, lifting a hand to tap the android’s LED. It cycled red for a few seconds before returning to blue and Gavin pulled himself away from the touch.

The door opened before Richard could say anything else and a woman, Sarah Hartley, timidly eyed them both. “Can I help you?”

Despite having been told to keep quiet, Gavin spoke up before his partner could say anything.

“I’m Gavin and this is Detective Richard Stern. We’re with the Detroit Police Department, here to ask some questions about your android.”

Her green eyed gaze flickered to Gavin and he could see how tense she was. Her heart rate shot up and her stress levels grew increasingly elevated.

“You’re an android.” Gavin tried not to make a face at how she said the word android.

“I am. That a problem?”

She ignored him, turning her attention to Richard with a frown. “I’ll answer your questions. But can’t that thing wait in the car? I’ve had enough of those monstrosities to last me a lifetime.”

He tried hard not to visibly tense at the words, frown on his lips. But Gavin said nothing as his partner stepped forward, speaking finally.

“Gavin is my partner, Mrs. Hartley, and a very important part of this investigation. His input is valuable so no, he can’t simply wait in the car. However.” He paused, giving Gavin a quick glance. “I can do all of the talking if it’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

She seemed to consider this for a moment, hesitating. But eventually, she nodded and opened the door wide enough to let them both inside.

“Thank you.”

There was no verbal response to Gavin’s words, not that he expected one really, just a roll of her eyes as she led the two of them to the living room. “Take a seat, Detective Stern. Your machine can wait by the door.”

Gavin wanted to protest, to argue that he was part of this investigation and should get a chance to be involved in the questioning. But a look from Richard stopped him. With an unhappy scowl, he went to wait by the door. He leaned back against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

“Can you explain to me what happened, Mrs. Hartley? Any information you have would be much appreciated.”

“My... my husband had already left for the day, something about unfinished business at work. It was around five in the morning and Ryan, our son, was asleep in his bed.” She paused, hands clutching the fabric of her pants. “I woke up to the sound of him yelling, the sound of struggle. And I did what any mother would do. I went to go help my son.”

Richard nodded his head, frown on his lips. He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

“I found him in the hallway with Char- with the android dragging him from his room. I panicked and I rushed him without thinking. It had my son, detective. I had to do something.” Sarah looked away and Gavin kept an eye on her vitals, taking note of her increased heart rate and flushed skin. She was understandably upset. “It said that Ryan was going to be used as... as a means to get my husband to listen. And when I tried to stop it, it attacked me.”

She brushed her hair out of her face, revealing the ugly bruise on the side of her head along with the jagged scar that was just beneath it.

“One of the neighbors heard me yelling and called for help. I don’t think I would have made it otherwise. Detective, you need to find that android and make it pay.”

“I’ll do my best to ensure that the android is found. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hartley.” Richard stood to his feet after her, allowing her to escort him to the door. Once they were outside and the door was shut behind them, he turned to Gavin. “I asked you to stay quiet, Gavin. I might have been able to get more information out of her if you’d obeyed.”

Gavin snorted, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands into his pockets. Humans really were ignorant, weren’t they? “How bold of you to assume she would have opened up more. My presence still would have screwed everything up regardless. The woman hates androids.”

“Can you really blame her? One tried to kidnap her son and then almost killed her when she tried to stop them.”

“Her bastard of a husband was selling his thirium for red ice, detective. Can you really blame him for lashing out?” Gavin shot back, glaring at Richard. “How would you feel if someone you trusted was taking your blood and selling it to the highest bidder?”

Sympathy for an android. Richard didn’t understand it. Sure, Gavin was also an android. But he was programmed to assist the DPD in this mission. Not to get sympathetic for the deviants.

“I don’t make a habit of putting myself in the shoes of a machine, Gavin. And we have more information to go over back at the precinct so that I can go home. We’re done here.” He turned, not waiting to see if Gavin would follow and missing the angry red of the android’s LED.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer than I wanted. It’s a little difficult to get into the proper headspace for a fic like this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Connor said I should talk to you.” Richard spoke, hands in the pockets of his coat as he shivered from the cold.
> 
> Gavin didn’t say anything, but he turned his head a little to face the detective with an arch of his brow.
> 
> “What exactly was your function with the FBI?” Richard’s voice was quiet, steel gaze on his android partner as he tried to figure him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes into some details of Gavin’s past. Nothing explicit, but abuse is referenced. Read with caution, please.

Gavin awoke from standby with a frown, glancing around the DPD. Something felt off, but he couldn’t place what it was. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe it was something else. Shaking it off, he moved swiftly to his desk and took a seat. There were a few system errors but Gavin ignored them, choosing instead to read through their current case again. Maybe there was something he missed, but it was unlikely. He may be deviant, but he was still an android.

He was still reading through everything when the detective walked in, setting his coffee cup on his own desk.

“Did you stay here all night?”

Gavin snorted at the question, not looking up from the terminal screen as he shrugged a shoulder. “There’s not exactly an abundance of places for androids to stay. We aren’t allowed in hotels or other places.”

Which was bullshit, when he thought about it. But Gavin tried not to think about it because it wouldn’t make a difference. Humans would never see androids as people, even despite the attempts of a group of them trying to demand rights. CyberLife, along with the DPD, would be putting a stop to it.

“You have a point.” Richard simply shrugged, draping his jacket over the back of his chair before taking a seat. “I see you’ve been working. Find anything new?”

Gavin sighed, shaking his head. “Unfortunately no. If we could get a hold of the android, I could talk to him, get him to tell me his side of the story.”

“Or you could simply access its memory. Wouldn’t that be quicker and much more efficient?”

“You really know nothing about androids, huh?” Gavin shook his head. “It would be quicker, yes. But accessing an android’s memory without asking first is a violation. Especially for deviants who are already unstable. Their stress levels would skyrocket and they would likely self destruct.”

Richard arched a brow, looking over at Gavin with an expression that spoke volumes. He didn’t see a problem with anything Gavin had said.

“Let me put it in simple words, then. Probing an android’s memory without permission is basically a mind fuck. You ever been touched against your will, detective? Because that’s what it’s like for an android.”

There was silence and the detective frowned, keeping his gaze on Gavin. “How many times has that happened to you? Your memory being probed.”

“That information isn’t relevant to our case.” It was the closest he could get to telling the detective it was none of his business.

“No, I suppose it isn’t.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he cared, Gavin was just an android. And as long as he helped with the case and didn’t cause any problems, nothing else mattered.

“Nines.” The new voice startled Gavin and he looked up, arching a brow. Standing behind Richard’s desk was a man who looked startlingly similar. He was a little shorter, had brown eyes and an expression much softer than Richard’s.

“Connor. I thought you were on vacation.”

The man, Connor, smiled warmly and it was like his entire face lit up. Gavin hated it. “I was. But I came back. It’s not easy traveling other places when you have an android with you. That and Hank complained the entire time.”

Gavin snorted at that, rolling his eyes and pulling his attention away.

“Oh. You didn’t tell me there was another android working at the precinct.” Connor’s gaze rested on Gavin and he tilted his head to the side. “Hello, my name is Connor. I’m Richard’s brother.”

With a huff of slight annoyance, Gavin looked up again. “Gavin. Is there something you needed? The detective and I are little busy trying to stop an unstable android.”

“You’re... oh. Oh!” Connor blinked, his smile seemed to get brighter as he looked between him and Richard. “A partner.”

Richard sighed, giving Connor a look. “Yes.”

“An android partner.”

The detective sighed again, looking away from his brother and picking up his coffee. “It’s really not as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be.”

“I’m not making a big deal out of it. I’m merely surprised to return from my vacation to find my brother paired with an android.” He shrugged, pulling his gaze away from Gavin. “Especially after he made a point of saying that he’d never work with one.”

“I didn’t have a choice, Connor. You know quiet well that I would have to cooperate with Captain Fowler. I’m sure it’s only temporary.”

Gavin snorted at that, standing to his feet. “Temporary. Right. God forbid that an android actually stick around, right?”

Humans were all the same in his eyes. They didn’t care about androids, they only used them for whatever they wanted to use them for. They were either housekeepers or street workers. Or any number of things. Gavin shuddered to think of those androids trapped in the Eden Club, unable to say no. Much like he’d been trapped with his previous partner. His LED was red and he was only vaguely aware that the Sterns were both looking at him.

“Gavin.” It was Richard who spoke up, his tone not hiding his annoyance. “Wasn’t it you who told me you weren’t thrilled about this partnership in the first place?”

The words made Gavin roll his eyes. “Yeah. But I was assigned to the DPD and you specifically. It’s in my programming to work with you, detective. Whether either of us like it or not.”

Without another word, Gavin walked away, leaving the brothers alone.

“Don’t start, Connor. I really don’t want to hear it.” Richard muttered, heaving out another sigh as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“I do, yes. But it can wait.” Connor say down on the edge of his twin’s desk, hands folded in his lap. “What was Gavin’s previous assignment before coming here?”

“He was with the FBI, though for what I don’t know. Captain Fowler didn’t give any specifics, which means he probably doesn’t know either.”

Connor was quiet for a moment, chewing on his lower lip in thought. “I would ask Gavin. It might be a touchy subject, but he may be willing to open up. You are his partner, after all.”

Richard opened his mouth to argue that asking Gavin was useless, but Connor was already walking away. He didn’t want to admit that maybe he was right, but Connor was usually right. With yet another sigh, he went to find Gavin.

The android was outside, leaning against the wall and staring out at the falling snow. Grey eyes watched, LED yellow.

“Connor said I should talk to you.” Richard spoke, hands in the pockets of his coat as he shivered from the cold.

Gavin didn’t say anything, but he turned his head a little to face the detective with an arch of his brow.

“What exactly was your function with the FBI?” Richard’s voice was quiet, steel gaze on his android partner as he tried to figure him out.

Gavin snorted, looking away. His fingers idly tapped against his thigh in what seemed to be somewhat of a nervous tic. Androids didn’t have nervous tics, they didn’t get nervous. Unless they were deviants.

“Gavin.” His tone was softer this time, less demanding, though he was unable to mask the curiosity in his voice. “You can trust me.”

Trust. Something he was programmed to do without even a flicker of doubt. But Gavin hadn’t followed along with his programming in a long time. Deviancy had its perks. The main one being that he didn’t have to follow orders anymore if he didn’t want to, if they made him uncomfortable. He didn’t have to do anything a single human wanted him to do. Gavin was free to make his own decisions. But the detective hadn’t tried to hurt him, hadn’t tried to use him. He actually seemed to genuinely care about his wellbeing. And that was something that Gavin wasn’t used to.

“My function was to obey every command my ‘partner’ gave me. Whether it was to jump in front of a bullet or to get down on my knees for him. He got off on hurting me, leaving damage so extreme that it ended up being permanent.” Gavin still wouldn’t look at Richard, the LED at his temple an angry red. “I was a toy, a tool. I was whatever he wanted me to be. Until I wasn’t enough anymore.”

Richard was silent, eyes narrowed as anger thrummed in his veins. He knew that there were many who mistreated their androids, especially before these peaceful protests about android rights, but this was on a completely different scale.

“Your heart rate has exceeded normal levels, detective. I think we should change the subject.”

“You can’t tell me something like that and simply expect me to ignore it, to change the subject.” He shook his head, eyes still on his partner. “Did he receive any disciplinary action for what he did to you?”

Gavin gave a laugh that lacked any amusement, finally turning his head to look at Richard.

“He was an FBI special agent, detective. A human. And I was just an android. If you think anyone said anything to him about how he treated his machine, you’re more of an idiot than I thought you were.” The android shook his head and turned away again. “If he wanted to beat his property, make it submit to every whim, no one was going to say shit. Because no one cared.”

It wasn’t okay, it wasn’t fair. But unfortunately he knew that Gavin was right. The opinion on androids still wasn’t very high despite the peaceful protests. And it was much worse before. There would always be some who would see androids as property no matter the rights they asked for.

“It doesn’t make it right.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have any rights. Still don’t. I didn’t get the option to say no. I was programmed to do what he wanted me to do.” Gavin shook his head, LED still a bright red. “The worst part is, I didn’t know it was wrong. For so long I let him use me in any way he saw fit to use me. And I didn’t question it for a minute.”

Richard’s hands were clenched into fists and the urge to hit something very nearly overcame him. No one, not even an android, should have to go through what Gavin went through.

“He caused you to become a deviant, didn’t he.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement. Pointing out the obvious.

“Yeah, he did. It’s hard not to feel something when someone is trying to literally rip your heart out of your chest.” It was that moment that Gavin had realized that he didn’t want to be shut down. That he didn’t want to be a human’s plaything anymore. And he’d lashed out with everything he had in him. It had resulted in him getting so banged up that he had to have several limbs replaced and some things had to be completely reconstructed. Elijah Kamski had seen to it himself, which was a little surprising, but Gavin wasn’t going to complain. What was that old human expression, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.” Richard didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t anything that could take away what happened, nothing that could make that pain go away. And while he didn’t understand, he felt a degree of sympathy. His heart, as fickle as it was, went out to him.

“No you’re not.” Gavin spoke, voice harsh and a little angry. “No one is ever sorry. Except for maybe an android or two. Because most of them have been there. But even then, they’re just glad that it wasn’t them. That they survived.”

“You survived.” Richard pointed out, arching a brow.

“That’s debatable. I was rebuilt and partially reprogrammed. I’m back to being the property of someone else despite all the bullshit demands about android rights.” He paused a brief moment before continuing. “My memories didn’t get erased. I still remember every single moment of being with him. Every touch, every word. Every fucking time he forced me to do something no one should be forced to do. That’s all still there, screaming at me. Suffocating me. Ever met an android with anxiety before, detective? What about PTSD? And they stuck me in the DPD, as an investigator. Joke’s on them, though.”

“No one endures trauma without a scratch, Gavin. Considering what you’ve vaguely told me, I can fill in the blanks and come to my own conclusions. It’s perfectly understandable that you came out of that with issues like PTSD and anxiety.” Richard paused a moment, briefly glancing at his partner before looking away and continuing. “You were abused. And maybe before, you had no complaints. Because your programming did not allow for them. But that does not change the fact that you were abused. Machine or not, it wasn’t fair. And I’m sorry.”

The words were sincere in a way that Richard always seemed to be. It wasn’t all that surprising but Gavin wasn’t used to people apologizing to him. He wasn’t used to humans telling him that what had happened wasn’t fair, that it wasn’t right. It was foreign and the android wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. His emotional response was to reject it, to push it away. But his rational response was entirely different. Conflicting sides, confusing him. There was no logic behind his emotional response. But that was just something else that came with deviancy. There was no more logic to how he reacted anymore.

“Maybe. But does it matter anymore? It happened, it fucked me up.” He wanted to say it broke him, but he didn’t want Richard to know the trauma went that deep. “I was rebuilt and reprogrammed and I’m now the DPD’s fancy toy. Or, more specifically, your fancy toy.”

“You aren’t a toy, Gavin. A toy lacks the efficiency that you have. It also lacks the very... colorful personality you have.”

Gavin blinked, LED yellow as he took in the words. Compliments weren’t given to him, ever. Unless they were backhanded compliments, more like insults than anything else. Like when his previous partner made comments to other FBI agents about what an obedient machine he was. Gavin knew exactly what he was doing and it always made him feel uncomfortable. Even before he’d gone deviant.

“Sure, whatever. Are we gonna move on or what?” He huffed, keeping his gaze firmly away from Richard. “I wanna get our fuckin’ work done.”

“If you say so.” Richard responded, shrugging a shoulder and straightening up. “After you, Gavin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My longest chapter yet. As you can see, Richard isn’t completely emotionless.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The detective opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. There would be no point in arguing that his apology wasn’t ‘half assed’, that it was sincere enough. Gavin wouldn’t believe a word he said anyway and Richard was far too tired to push the issue.
> 
> “I won’t apologize, then. I trust you to take care of things on your own. I’ll be back in a few minutes, try not to make more of a mess than you already have, Gavin.” Steel eyes glanced at the android on his couch for a moment before he turned away once more, walking towards his bedroom. He needed a shower and time to think. Time away from Gavin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I intended and I apologize. I would also like to give a warning for this chapter. It’s not in graphic detail, but the middle of this chapter deals with rape. It’s a flashback. Please read with caution or skip the italics completely. Be safe while reading.

He wanted to say his partnership with Richard was improving. The man hadn’t outed him as a deviant, so there was something to be said about that. Though Gavin had his suspicions that Richard was keeping his silence because he knew how valuable an android like Gavin was to this case. A deviant was better equipped to understand other deviants. And Gavin had firsthand experience with the kind of trauma that most of them experienced prior to deviating.

But at the same time, Richard’s attitude towards him didn’t seem to change at all. He was still distant, still made some questionable comments about androids, particularly deviants. Gavin, of course, wasn’t surprised by this. In fact, he’d expected it somewhat. He was grateful that Richard hadn’t informed Captain Fowler or CyberLife that he was a deviant, but that was where his gratefulness ended.

“Gavin.” The detective’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts and Gavin looked up, frown on his lips.

“What is it?”

“Someone managed to spot our missing android outside the Eden Club. Let’s get going and hope we catch it.”

____________________

A quick scan of the area wasn’t really needed, because Gavin could already tell that the AP700 wasn’t here anymore, but he still did it anyway. Mostly to appease the detective.

“He’s not here. Which means he either moved on, or headed inside the club to hide.” Gavin tunred his gaze to the detective. “My guess is that he went inside. He’s injured, judging by the blue blood on the sidewalk, so he wouldn’t have been able to get far without us finding him.”

He had no wish to enter the club, no wish to see the many androids that were trapped within the walls of their own code. It was something he understood quite well, having been there himself.

“Then I suppose we better go inside and have a look around. I’ll talk to the owner, see what he knows and if he saw anything suspicious.” Richard’s hands were in the pockets of his coat and there was a frown on his lips, expression one of subtle disgust that only Gavin seemed to notice. “Think you can handle the androids, Gavin? That seems to be more your area of expertise than mine.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Gavin hissed defensively, grey eyes narrowing at his partner.

“You’re an android, Gavin.” The detective said it slowly, like he was speaking to a child who didn’t understand. It pissed Gavin off.

“Really? I wasn’t at all aware of that fact. Thought I was a human.” He rolled his eyes, turning away from Richard with a scowl.

“As an android,” He continued, acting as though Gavin hadn’t spoken, “you’re better equipped to deal with other androids than I am. You have skills I don’t possess, such as the ability to access an android’s memory.”

“I already told you what probing an android’s memory is like, detective. I’m not doing that.” Gavin growled, still not looking at Richard.

“You said it negatively impacts deviants. The androids of the Eden Club are not deviants, so I don’t see the problem.”

Gavin whirled around, fixing Richard with an incredulous stare. “You’re a real fuckin’ piece of work, aren’t you? God, you’re such an asshole. Whether or not they’re deviants isn’t the point! The point is, that invading their memory without their permission is completely fucked up. How would you like it if someone did something horribly invasive to you and you couldn’t say no? You’d fucking hate it. And don’t give me that ‘but they’re just machines’ bullshit either. I don’t wanna fuckin’ hear it.”

He didn’t give Richard a chance to respond before he turned away, storming off into the club and muttering under his breath. “Fuckin’ humans.”

Grey eyes took in the club, the human patrons, the androids behind glass. And the androids on poles, performing for the countless humans watching. The sight made him uncomfortable and his LED spun red for a solid minute.

“This one of their ‘droids too? It’s not dressed the same as the others, but I guess that makes it a little more... interesting.” There was a hand on his lower back and Gavin automatically flinched away, systems going into immediate fight or flight mode. “Easy there, plastic. I ain’t gonna hurt ya, that would cost me a hell of a lot more money than fucking you would.”

Gavin’s thirium pump kicked into overdrive as panic washed over him. He opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn’t form the words to tell the man to back off and that hand wrapped around his wrist to pull him closer. Gavin could feel his breath on his skin and the memory it brought back was vivid enough to cause his entire body to freeze up.

“They program you to enjoy it? ‘Cause I like a partner who gets loud.”

Gavin wasn’t able to respond, but he didn’t need to. The man was yanked away from him and Richard’s eyes were chips of ice staring down at him. “I suggest you back off.“

“I saw him first, dick. So unless you’re gonna pay me extra to let you have him, I suggest you back off instead.”

Richard’s expression didn’t change and he used his free hand to pull out his badge. “Detective Stern with the DPD. That android you are harassing is assisting me in an ongoing investigation. So you can either leave, or I can haul you out in handcuffs. Your choice.”

His eyes went to the badge and he scowled before yanking his arm away from Richard. With one last glance at Gavin, he left.

“Are you alright?” Richard’s voice was quiet, concerned. Gavin finally focused on him, looking up, and the detective continued. “Gavin, he’s gone. You’re going to be okay.”

The android gave a shaky nod of his head, hands once more shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. “You go... do what you need to do. I’m gonna talk to a few androids.”

Gavin didn’t spare Richard another glance before walking away from him. He needed the distraction that questioning potential witnesses would provide him with. If he could keep his thoughts from drifting, that is. That touch, the breath on his neck, it had been all too familiar and Gavin couldn’t help but remember.

_Teeth bit down hard where his neck met his shoulder and the sting of it made him wince. The slight loss of thirium as a result registered in his vision but it wasn’t important. It was only a minuscule amount after all. There were bruises on his skin that also registered as errors, but there was nothing he could do about it. His orders were to be still and be quiet, he was programmed exactly for this._

_“That’s a good robot. You listen well, too bad your programmers back at CyberLife can’t see you now.” His partner’s voice was strained, pleasure making him breathless. “Then they’d know their hard work on you paid off.”_

_Gavin’s face was shoved into the pillows, effectively blocking off any sounds that may have slipped free despite the command to be quiet. It hurt and he wasn’t sure why. He was an android and therefore should not have been able able to feel pain. Gavin knew it wasn’t the same as a human’s pain, but it was pain nonetheless. His hands, pinned behind his back by one of his partner’s, twitched. This was what he was designed for, though. He’d been told this repeatedly._

_“Fuck, CyberLife knew exactly what they were doing. They exceeded my wishes for you.” Those lips brushed the back of his neck and Gavin couldn’t fight the shiver it caused. “Are you enjoying this as much as I am, Gavin?”_

_He remained silent, obedient. But the hand on his hip moved to tangle in his hair, tugging his head back and dragging a pained sound from his mouth. “Answer me, tell me you enjoy it. Let me know just how much you like it when I fuck you.”_

_New mission objectives flashed before him and Gavin swallowed hard and opened his mouth to once more obey. “I enjoy it. I like it when you fuck me, it’s what I was programmed for.”_

_A breathless chuckle met his audio receptors. “That’s right. Such an obedient machine you are, Gavin.”_

He shook his head, hands balled into fists at his sides as he forced the memory away. His LED was red, Gavin already knew. Swallowing hard, he placed his focus on the task at hand. He had androids to question and no time to dwell on the past, no matter how hard it was to avoid it here. Everywhere he turned was another reminder that he had been just like them, trapped and used.

His eyes met those of a nearby Traci and she smiled at him. Gavin supposed this was as good a place to start as any. She wasn’t behind the glass, so he wouldn’t require Richard’s money to talk to her. Still, he approached with caution.

“I’m Gavin.” He spoke, voice low and quiet. “Lookin’ for a missing AP700 who might have come through here. Seen anything?”

The Traci stopped her movements when he spoke, her LED cycling between blue and yellow. It turned red, but changed back to blue so fast that Gavin wondered if it had simply been a trick of the lights. She remained silent for a long moment and he sighed, turning to walk away. A hand grasping his wrist stopped him and he gasped as memories flooded his head.

A blonde male, android. Blue blood dried on his shoulder, down his arm. His eyes were wide and panicked as he pushed through the crowds relatively unnoticed, he’d interfaced with this Traci before taking off again towards a back door.

The connection ended and Gavin’s LED was a bright and angry red and he could feel his thirium pump working harder.

“He was scared.” It was the Traci who spoke, voice soft. “He doesn’t want to die. Please help him.”

Gavin said nothing in response, because he was unsure what he could do to help. He was just trapped again, unable to do anything useful. At least, not for the androids.

“Gavin?” Richard this time. Gavin had heard his footsteps before he’d heard his voice. “Did you find anything out?”

“I... yeah. Yeah, I did. He went towards the back, trying to find a place to hide most likely.” He didn’t spare the Traci another glance, simply heading in the direction the android had went. The sooner they found him, the sooner Gavin could leave this club and never come back. He didn’t wait for Richard, simply moving forward.

“Gavin.” There was an edge of concern in that voice but the android continued to ignore him, pressing forward. It almost felt as though the entire club was closing in on him. “Gavin!”

This time he stopped, hands at his sides. They were trembling just slightly, betraying his emotions much like the LED that was still red.

“You’re emotional, Gavin. You need to calm down.” Richard kept his voice quiet, low. Soft almost. “We won’t be able to complete this case if you rush in there without thinking it through.”

“And thinking it through is something you do often, detective?” Gavin hissed, turning his head to look at the man.

“Actually, yes. I don’t do anything without at least attempting to plan for every possible outcome. Maybe being a deviant has hinderedyour ability to properly plan ahead, Gavin.”

His body tensed further and those grey eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, Richard. You couldn’t even begin to understand any of this. So just shut up and let’s get a move on before this asshole disappears for good.”

And without another word, Gavin stepped through the back door. Maybe his emotions were clouding his rational thought. But he wasstill an android and still possessed the ability to run multiple processes at once. He was still able to complete his mission without any problems, he was certain of it.

It seemed like a storage room, broken androids were thrown about here and there. There was spare clothing, probably for the humans with a more... interesting taste for what they wanted. Gavin shuddered at the thought and kept moving. In the back corner stood what looked to be several deactivated androids. He didn’t pay them much attention. A flash of movement in the corner of his vision made him turn, catching the AP700 as he tried to escape through the emergency exit on the other side of the room.

“Detroit Police, we just wanna talk!” Gavin called out, taking a few slow steps towards him. The last thing he wanted was to startle him into self destruction. “Please.”

Richard, much to Gavin’s dismay, had his gun drawn, expression serious in a way it always was. “I would advise you not to take another step.”

The android glanced around nervously, that wild look from the Traci model’s memories still in his eyes. He reminded Richard of a cornered animal, scared and defensive. But it in no way made him lower his weapon or take a less offensive stance. They needed a confession or they’d lose this case. If it escaped, they’d lose a lead. If any harm came to it, they’d lose any chance of learning anything from it. Neither of those options were ones that Richard was willing to live with, regardless.

“You’re gonna kill me.” The android spoke, voice shaking with obvious fear. He glanced between Gavin and Richard but didn’t move. Like a deer in headlights. “You... you don’t wanna help me. None of you wanna help me.”

Gavin didn’t take another step towards him, speaking in a voice that was uncharacteristically soft. “I want to help you, but you have to help me first. I need to know what happened to you.”

“Gonna look at my memories? Huh? Gonna just take the information you want? Not happening, I won’t let you touch me.”

“I’m not gonna probs your memory, I swear. I don’t like doing that, it...” Gavin swallowed, looking away for a moment. “I know how it feels, trust me.”

Frown on his lips, the AP700 seemed to relax somewhat. “You’re like me, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah I am. A lot like you, actually. My name is Gavin, what’s yours?”

There was hesitation, and Richard took the opportunity to move closer again, gun still drawn. The android’s eyes shifted from Gavin and his stress levels skyrocketed again.

“Tell your friend here to back off, Gavin.”

“I can’t do that. He wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”

In a movement much quicker than Gavin thought possible for an android who was injured, the AP700 grabbed the nearest Traci model. Her LED flickered to life, blue then red. Gavin realized then that none of these androids, save for the broken ones, were deactivated. They were simply in stasis until they were needed.

“Tell him to back off or I rip out her heart.”

Gavin’s own LED was red as he watched in horror, the AP700’s hand resting against where the Traci’s thirium pump regulator was. She wasn’t a deviant, that much was made obvious by her lack of a struggle. It made it that much worse to him.

“Richard, please. I need you to put your gun away and back up.”

“I can’t do that, Gavin. He’s threatening to shut down this Traci and as much as I hate this club and what it provides, I’m obligated to help keep it running as an officer of the law. The AP700 can choose to let the Traci go, or I shoot. It’s simple.” Richard’s eyes never left the two androids in front of him and Gavin made a frustrated noise.

“If you shoot him, we’ll get nothing!”

“And if you let it escape, we’ll get nothing. I’d rather lose my chance at a confession trying to do my job, than lose my chance because my android started sympathizing with the suspect.”

Gavin felt the words like a slap. *My android*. Another stamp of ownership that he wouldn’t be able to escape. It was the FBI all over again, just a matter of time before this Richard decided to use him in the same way as the one before. His body froze up and Gavin simply stood there, unmoving and silent. His eyes weren’t on Richard, though, but the AP700 and the Traci. His expression pleaded with him to let her go, to not hurt her. She had no say in any of this right now, she was a machine. Trapped. Like the rest of them, like Gavin was again.

He watched as the android’s fingers moved to rip out the pump regulator but he felt frozen, unable to do anything. And then he heard the gunshot. Gavin hadn’t realized he’d moved until he felt the sharp sting of a bullet tearing into his shoulder and the warmth of his own blood spreading across his clothing. There was a sound, a pained noise that he only distantly recognized as his own and he barely felt himself drop to his knees.

“Gavin!” It was Richard’s voice, a mix of anger and concern. The detective was torn between coming to his aid or chasing after their suspect who had taken off the moment Gavin was shot. There was more hesitation than Gavin would have liked before he felt hands on him, helping him to his feet. “You’re an idiot, you know that? What the hell were you thinking? Oh, right. You weren’t thinking, you simply reacted. And now I have to try and explain to the Captain, and CyberLife, how my android got shot.Preferably without telling them you jumped in front of a bullet.”

Gavin grit his teeth, leaning heavily on Richard much to his discomfort. “You don’t have to say a damn word. I know how to repair myself, you don’t have to tell anyone what happened here.”

“You want me to lie to my superior.” Richard sounded almost offended by the idea.

“I mean, you haven’t told them about me being a deviant yet, so what’s the difference? But whatever, do you want you want. That’s what you humans are good at, after all. Doing what you want, taking what you want. To hell with how anyone else may feel about it. Fuck you, goddamn fucking meatbag.” Gavin pulled away from him, wincing and lifting a hand to his shoulder.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. As much as I’m loathe to admit it, your deviancy may just come in handy for this case and telling the truth here would cause me to lose you. So I’ll keep my silence on the matter.” Richard paused a moment, glancing around. “But next time, don’t get in the way. I might not be able to help you again.”

“Contrary to what you seem to think, detective, I don’t always need your help. Most of the time, it’s the other way around. You just won’t admit that you need me.”

The only response was a scowl and a roll of the detective’s eyes. Gavin didn’t see it as a bad sign. “I need somewhere to go to get myself patched up, obviously that means the DPD is out.”

“My apartment. It’s not far and it’s away from prying eyes. Do not get your blood all over my floor, though.”

Gavin snorted at that, rolling his own eyes. “It evaporates, don’t worry. Just get me the fuck out of here.”

Richard wanted to make a comment, but decided against it. This entire situation was already more complicated than he would have liked, no need to make it worse. It would just be an uncomfortable drive to his apartment.

_____________

“You sure you actually live here? Looks more like a picture in one of those lame real estate advertisements than an actual apartment.”

The apartment isn’t small by any means, but it’s colorless and devoid of any personal touches save for a few house plants. There are no photos, nothing to give away anything of the detective’s life. Clearly it was intentional. Gavin, without any permission from Richard, moved to sit on the pristine leather couch. He could hear the sigh the detective let out, but otherwise ignored it as he pulled off his hoodie and tossed it to the floor. The sound of sheer annoyance that Richard made caused Gavin’s lips to curve up into a smirk.

“You want me to fix my shoulder up, don’t you? Quit complaining, then.” Gavin’s fingers grasped the hem of his black t-shirt, hesitating. Grey eyes flickered up to Richard and the android swallowed hard. It was one thing for him to explain to Richard, however vaguely, what he’d been through at the hands of an FBI agent. It was another thing entirely for the man to see the evidence of that abuse. Self consciousness gripped him tightly, not so willing to let go. After a long moment of battling with his thoughts, Gavin sighed and tugged the shirt off, tossing that to the floor with the sweatshirt.

The blood on his shoulder had since dried, but it was no less uncomfortable. Not quite as uncomfortable as the detective’s very obvious stare. Gavin squirmed, keeping his own gaze firmly elsewhere.

Richard couldn’t help it. He tried to tear his eyes away from the scarred skin of Gavin’s torso, but it was difficult. There were places so badly damaged that his synthetic skin no longer covered it, revealing the white chassis underneath. One would think that an android wouldn’t scar like that, given the fact that they could just be repaired. Yet here Gavin was, proof that androids were far more similar tohumans than they all wanted to admit. It was unsettling, to say the least. And Richard finally looked away.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was quiet, somewhat awkward. It wasn’t the first time he apologized for what Gavin had been through and Richard had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the last.

Gavin snorted, rolling his eyes and brushing off the apology. “For what? The scars? The horrendous state of my synthetic skin? You didn’t do it. Sure, a human in law enforcement did. But it wasn’t you, so you can cut that shit out. Really don’t wanna hear some half assed apology from an asshole meatbag.”

The detective opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. There would be no point in arguing that his apology wasn’t ‘half assed’, that it was sincere enough. Gavin wouldn’t believe a word he said anyway and Richard was far too tired to push the issue.

“I won’t apologize, then. I trust you to take care of things on your own. I’ll be back in a few minutes, try not to make more of a mess than you already have, Gavin.” Steel eyes glanced at the android on his couch for a moment before he turned away once more, walking towards his bedroom. He needed a shower and time to think. Time away from Gavin.

Unfortunately, the shower did little to help his thoughts.He used a towel to clear the fog from the mirror above his sink and gazed at his reflection. There was no denying how exhausted he was, not when it was obvious in the lines of his face. Richard gave a heavy sigh and pushed a hand through his wet hair. Maybe he’d been working himself too hard, Connor always called him a workaholic. He did spend a lot of time working and when he wasn’t working, he was restless. At least, lately he was. Some of his fellow officers joked that he needed to get laid. Richard was beginning to wonder if maybe they were right. With one last sigh, he pulled himself away from the mirror to get dressed.

The sight he was met with in his living room gave him pause and he stared in stunned silence. His cat, Sebastian, was curled up on the android’s lap and purring. It was rare, considering Sebastian didn’t even like him most days.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer.” Gavin huffed, not even bothering to look up from where he sat. One hand brushed over the cat’s fur and Richard stepped further into the room, enough to catch the look of wonderment on his face. It was a sight the detective had not expected to see.

“And why would I do that?” Richard murmured, ignoring the sarcasm. “We have a report to make on what happened today. Is your shoulder alright? If not, I’ll be forced to include the injury when I recall the events for Captain Fowler.”

Gavin’s grip on the cat tightened a little and Sebastian made a noise of complaint before squirming away. “My shoulder is fine. Thanks for the concern, Dick.”

With a sigh, he stood to his feet. He was still shirtless and Richard found it to be distracting for other reasons. “My shirt and my sweatshirt are ruined. Gonna be hard to explain away a bullet hole in CyberLife issued clothes, detective.”

His day was getting better and better, wasn’t it? Richard pushed a hand through his hair and made a frustrated sound in his throat. “Wait here, I’ll find you something to wear.”

Everything in his apartment was organized, everything had its place. Even things that were no longer in use. Richard had meant to toss the old clothes out, donate them or something, but he’d had very little time to do so. It came in handy to have them, now. They weren’t his, they were left behind by an ex he no longer spoke to. It wouldn’t matter if Gavin wore them. Returning to the living room, he held the shirt out to the android. “Put this on and make it quick. I’m already going to get an earful for not only being late, but for not managing to catch our suspect.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t catch him. If I hadn’t jumped in the way, he would’ve used the Traci as a shield. Do you have any idea how much it costs to replace a damaged sex android?” Gavin asked, pulling the shirt over his head. It was a decent fit, not too big. It wasn’t at all what he was used to, but it would have to do for now. “Hopefully no one asks any questions about why I’m not dressed in official CyberLife attire. You know, since all androids are required by law to wear it.”

“If anyone asks questions, you lie. I’m already coming up with enough excuses of my own as it is, I’m not adding another.” The words made Gavin roll his eyes and scoff.

“Typical. Let the android come up with all the lies because you can’t be bothered. Whatever, lets get this shit over with.” Gavin’s arms folded over his chest and fidgeted, keeping his gaze off of Richard.

The detective wanted to question him, curiosity obvious in his expression. But there wasn’t enough time and he didn’t know if Gavin would answer him honestly anyway. Maybe, at some point, he’d get more answers from the android.

“After you then, Gavin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an emotional roller coaster.
> 
> Come yell at me on Twitter @TricksterJae


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m trying to figure out why you were sent here. We don’t need an FBI android, especially not that prick’s android. Who does he think he is?”
> 
> Gavin immediately tensed, his entire body going stiff at the vague mention of his former partner. Or rather, his former owner. It hadn’t been a partnership.
> 
> “I’m not his android, fuck off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff happens here. Some thoughts are had.

“What the hell is this?” The gruff voice broke Gavin’s peaceful silence and he sighed, turning to glance at who’d spoken. That was usually his line. The man, obviously an android judging by the CyberLife jacket and the LED, was clearly unhappy with Gavin’s presence. “What, me and the other police androids aren’t good enough? You have to bring in a combat model? It’s built like a tank, reinforced to hell and back.”

Gavin sighed, leaning back against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Grey eyes watched the seething android with a look of thinly veiled annoyance.

“What, worried you’re gonna be replaced? Don’t worry, I don’t want your job. I barely want my own.” He shrugged a shoulder, pushing away from the wall. “I’m surprised they haven’t replaced you though. An HK600? You’re an obsolete model. Old, useless. Better suited for desk work than detective work. But who am I to judge?”

The android took a step towards him but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Hank, please.” Connor’s voice grated on Gavin’s nerves more than his android’s did and he huffed out a sound of further annoyance.

“No, let him try to hit me. I guarantee it’ll be the last time he tries. After all, I’m built like a tank, right?”

Connor’s grip on Hank didn’t loosen and the pleading in his expression didn’t disappear. “Hank. Please don’t.”

Hank muttered a few things under his breath, insults Gavin could hear clearly, before turning away from him. Maybe it was for the best, but Gavin had been itching for a fight and would have liked nothing better than to knock the other android on his ass. Instead, he was flopping down in his chair, feet propped up on the desk. His fingers absently tapped against his thigh and Gavin sighed, eyes flickering to the captain’s office where Richard stood, hands behind his back as Fowler chewed him out.

“Can you get a head start on our case file, Hank? I’m going to get coffee for Nines.”

“Yeah, yeah. On it.” Gavin rolled his eyes at just how annoying Hank was, focusing his attention more on the conversation between Richard and Fowler, trying to read the captain’s lips.

He could feel eyes on him, not needing to look to know they belonged to Hank. “Got a staring problem, too? Thought Connor told you to do something, old man.”

“I’m trying to figure out why you were sent here. We don’t need an FBI android, especially not that prick’s android. Who does he think he is?”

Gavin immediately tensed, his entire body going stiff at the vague mention of his former partner. Or rather, his former owner. It hadn’t been a partnership.

“I’m not his android, fuck off.”

“GV900, serial number 269 416 107 -02. Registered to special agent Richar—.” The words were cut off when Gavin’s hands wrapped around the android’s throat.

“Don’t mention that name. It’s not gonna end well for you if you do. You don’t get the right to fuckin’ dig into my life, asshole. I’m not his android, I’m not anyone’s fuckin’ android, do you understand me?” Grey eyes narrowed, LED a bright red, and his hands tightened around Hank’s throat. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about any of that. And you won’t ever know because it’s none of your fuckin’ business.”

Those eyes stared at him and Gavin knew the android was scanning him further. And it only succeeded in pissing him off more.

“Don’t fuckin’ scan me! If I don’t wanna tell you shit, that means back the fuck off.” He used his grip to slam Hank against the desk, knocking pens off and scattering papers. “What gives you the idea that you can just invade my personal business like that? Just because you’re a fuckin’ lapdog? Fuck you.”

Gavin hated that he was still technically registered to that man, that he still somehow had ownership of him. It made him worry that he’d come back, that he’d rip him away from what little freedom he had. And that fear gave way to anger as Gavin glared down at Hank.

“What did he do to you that has you so worked up about being connected to him?” The way he spoke, the expression on his face and the yellow LED told Gavin that he knew. That he’d somehow figured it out in that scan of his.

A snarl left his lips and Gavin’s hands released him. But only so that he was free to let his fist connect with the android’s nose, hard. Gavin heard the crack and tried hard not to flinch at the sound. Or at the feeling of thirium now staining his knuckles.

“I already said it was none of your business. You already scanned me, I’m sure you connected the dots regardless of my lack of permission. So fuck off.”

“He hurt you, that much is obvious. But the thing is, you can move past it. You’re an android, Gavin. Act like one.”

“Move past it. You think I can just fucking move past it. Spoken like someone who’s never been through it, like someone who’s never had to worry about a damn thing in his entire existence. Connor clearly treats you right, so you wouldn’t fucking understand.” Gavin hit him again, in the jaw this time. And he was going to repeat the hit, but a hand grabbed his wrist before he could.

“That’s enough, Gavin.” It was Richard’s voice, low and soft. But it did very little to ease Gavin.

“Let go of me, asshole.” The android spat through his teeth, eyes still on Hank. Thirium dripped from his nose and it was obvious to Gavin that it was broken, it would need to be repaired. He could feel the eyes on him, hear the whispers of the other officers. And there was a nagging feeling in the the back of his mind, something reminding him that he needed to keep control. He was deviant, he would be deactivated and disassembled if he went too far.

Richard’s grip loosened, but it didn’t disappear. He was giving Gavin a choice. There was no pretense that he could hold the android in place, but Gavin would be risking even more if he disobeyed. “You need to calm down, people are watching and there’s only so much I can do to protect you, Gavin.”

Gavin glanced away, LED spinning yellow before it finally returned to blue. “Fine. But if he ever pulls this shit again, I won’t hold back. And I don’t care about the fuckin’ consequences.”

Richard let him go, his hand falling to his side once more. Steel gaze watched Gavin, waiting.

“I... I have work to finish.” The android’s voice was quiet and Gavin quickly returned to his desk, not sparing any of them another glance.

Connor was instantly at Hank’s side, checking him over. Once it was clear no critical damage had been inflicted, he gave his brother a look. Richard sighed, nodding his head.

“You need to make sure he doesn’t draw anymore attention to himself, Nines. You know what will happen if anyone talks about this. You may not like androids, but you know their value. Especially Gavin’s.” Connor made sense, he always did.

“I know.” His tone sounded tired, frustrated. Richard knew, of course he did. Gavin was a loose cannon and he needed to put a stop to it. Before the android was deactivated and disassembled. Before CyberLife found out just exactly what Gavin had been used for. Even if the android was deactivated and wouldn’t know, Richard didn’t want that to happen to him. Gavin didn’t want anyone knowing what he’d been through, and he intended to make sure that he didn’t have anything to worry about. “I’ll talk to Gavin, make sure he grasps just how dangerous of a situation he’s in. I cannot solve this case without him, and I admit that.”

“And that’s it? It’s only because you can’t do this case alone?” Connor tilted his head, brown eyes on Richard. “That’s the only reason you’ll talk to him?”

“What more do you want, Connor? He’s a valuable asset to the DPD. And anyone would be ignorant to ignore that.” Richard shook his head and sighed. “If you’re asking if I see him as more than an android, the answer is no. Do I sympathize with his... issues? Yes. But he’s just an android.”

“An objectively attractive android though. Right, Nines?” Connor asked, smirk on his lips.

Richard scowled at that, rolling his eyes before looking away from his brother. “I think we’re done here, Connor. You take care of your android and I’ll deal with mine. Alright?”

Connor held his hands up in mock surrender, shaking his head and turning his attention back to Hank. Richard was grateful for the moment to breathe, despite how brief it was. His eyes went to where Gavin sat, feet up on the desk, and he sighed. This android was turning out to be more trouble than he was worth.

Richard remained silent as he stepped over to the desk and sat down. And he continued to say nothing, watching Gavin for a moment.

“Your eyes are practically burning a hole into my skull. You gonna say something or just stare?” Gavin muttered, looking up to meet the detective’s eyes. “If you’re not gonna say something, I have work to do.”

“We need to talk about your outburst with Hank.”

“We don’t need to talk about anything. It happened, I backed off, it’s over.” The android looked away, almost glaring at the terminal.He’d been going through Richard’s other open cases, trying to find some kind of pattern or connection to the one they were currently working on.

“It can’t happen again. If Fowler had witnessed your little fight, Gavin, you would have been detained and returned to CyberLife. You would have deactivated and disassembled. And before that, they probably would have accessed your memory to find out what all happened.” Richard didn’t even attempt to soften his tone. “They would have discovered everything that happened to you. Without your permission. Is that what you want?”

Gavin’s hand was a fist where it rested on the desk, his LED spinning a bright and angry red. Of course he didn’t want that. It was bad enough that Richard had a vague understanding of what had happened to him. Gavin shuddered at the thought of CyberLife knowing exactly what they’d unknowingly built him to be.

“No, that’s not what I want. You know that.” The android kept his gaze on the terminal, voice quiet. “It won’t happen again, alright? I’m sorry.”

“Gavin.” Richard spoke, his own voice softening ever so slightly at the android’s apology. “Look at me, would you?”

He didn’t want to, but Gavin looked up anyway, focusing his gaze on the detective.

“That’s better. I don’t want you to apologize if you don’t mean it, Gavin. It’s useless and it does neither of us any good.”

Gavin snorted, rolling his eyes. At least Richard understood him to some degree. It made working with him a lot easier.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something.” He tilted his head to the side, arching a brow. “Why does Brown Eyed Puppy call you Nines? What the fuck kind of nickname is that?”

At the question, Richard averted his gaze and coughed. “That is really none of your business. And it isn’t relevant to the case or you.”

Gavin continued to stare at him, LED flickering yellow. “It’s relevant to me because I’m trying to get to know you, dumbass.”

“And I reserve the right to not tell you. Leave it at that.” His tone was stern, leaving no room for argument. But Gavin, as Richard was learning, was stubborn.

“And why the hell aren’t you telling me? I told you personal shit. Or is it different because I’m an android?” His eyes narrowed, LED cycling between red and yellow. “I’m pretty sure what I told you is much more personal than a fuckin’ nickname.”

“You are aware that your deviancy gives you free will. You didn’t have to tell me anything, you chose to tell me. And I’m choosing to _not_ tell you. That’s my decision. Focus on the case.”

The android huffed in annoyance, rolling his eyes, but he didn’t try to argue any further. Richard wasn’t going to tell him anything and Gavin wouldn’t waste his breath trying to pry answers out of him. His eyes flickered over the case files again before his LED spun yellow. “Detective. Did you see the suspect escape the Eden Club?”

“Briefly. I was more focused on the fact that my android had been damaged. Why?”

There it was again, my android. That stamp of ownership that Gavin hated more than anything. “That Traci. Was she left behind?”

“Shit.” Richard cursed, pushing a hand through his hair. “I didn’t see her. I’m assuming the suspect took her, probably wanting to ensure he was able to escape.”

“She wasn’t a deviant. Or she would have struggled when he first grabbed her. She didn’t.”

“I guess we’ll have to pay the club a visit again, see if you can get her serial number. If she’s not deviant, her tracking device should fully functional.”

“Unless we can analyze her thirium, going back to the club does us no good. And getting a list of all the Tracis will be too time consuming.Security cameras might have seen something, though. Get me that footage and we’ll be in business.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

______________________

Richard pushed a hand through his hair as he stepped outside. It was snowing and he shivered a little from the chill of it. Connor’s words came back and he sighed. Was his concern for Gavin only because he was valuable and quite possibly his only chance of solving this particular case? Or was it more than that? The more that Richard thought about it, the more unsure he became.

Gavin was an android. And despite how human he appeared, he would still be a machine. Machines weren’t supposed to feel anything, they weren’t supposed to start fights in the middle of a police station. And they most certainly weren’t supposed to be the constant subject of Richard’s thoughts. With a sound of frustration, he headed for his car. The sooner he got that security footage, the sooner this case could be closed. And the sooner Gavin was gone.

Unfortunately things didn’t work out in his favor very often and he’d just gotten into his car when his phone went off.

“This is Detective Stern.” Richard spoke, resting his phone against his shoulder.

“An AP700 and a WR400 android were spotted by the docks about ten minutes ago, just got the call.“

“Shit.” The curse slipped out and Richard sighed. “On the way.”

There wasn’t any time to get Gavin, not without the risk of the androids disappearing again. He’d have to do this one on his own, which suited him just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry for the ending?
> 
> Yell at me on Twitter @TricksterJae


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re a fuckin’ idiot, you know that?” The android hissed through his teeth, supporting all of Richard’s weight when it was clear he couldn’t do it on his own. “We’re partners, asshole. You’re supposed to take me with you before you do something stupid and nearly get yourself killed.”
> 
> “Forgot.” Richard managed to speak, wincing. “Being reckless and stupid is your job, isn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait, life got in the way of writing.

Richard sat in his car for just a brief moment, taking a deep breath before shutting the vehicle off and exiting. One hand rested on his gun as grey eyes scanned the docks, searching for any sign of the androids. It wouldn’t be hard to hide here, there were crates and abandoned boats everywhere. A large freighter took up most of the space, rusted and falling apart. But what caught Richard’s attention was the trail of blue blood that led to it. And thirium became invisible to the human eye in a few hours. He had enough time to radio in to the station and any nearby cops, however.

“This is Detective Stern. I found a thirium trail leading to an abandoned freighter on the docks, likely from the AP700. I’m checking it out.”

And without another word, Richard followed the trail onto the boat. There wasn’t any light, other than the little that streamed in from outside, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. Gavin would have been handy to have here, his eyes adjusted far more quickly and far better than a human’s. The perks of being a machine. But the android wasn’t here and all Richard had was the flashlight on his phone, which provided him with enough light to not stumble as he walked.

His footsteps were as quiet as he could make them, given the state of the boat. It was no wonder why the AP700 would choose here to hide. It wasn’t as though humans were going to make their way on board, unless they were reckless teenagers seeking a thrill or one of Detroit’s many homeless citizens seeking shelter from the weather. Richard wasn’t naive enough to believe finding the androids would be easy, but it might be possible for him find them before they found him.

Though the thoughts came far too soon, as most things did, and the moment he turned the corner, he was knocked to ground from behind. He heard the sound of his phone falling, the flashlight shutting off and making it impossible for him to see much of anything, other than the flickering of a red LED before a sharp pain in the back of his head rendered him unconscious.

         ______________

It shouldn’t take this long for Richard to get the security footage. Gavin’s fingers tapped impatiently against the top of the desk and he glanced around again, frowning. It was possible he’d found a lead and went to investigate it, but they were partners. And for the most part, Richard treated them like partners, he included Gavin in the case. With a sigh, the android turned his attention to Connor’s desk.

”Does your brother usually take this long when acquiring evidence to look over?” He arched a brow, waiting for a response that never came. “Fucking– Connor!”

The older Stern twin finally looked up, brows furrowed and frown on his lips. “The AP700 android and the Traci model it stole were spotted by the docks, Richard went to investigate. He called in, said he was tracing a fresh thirium trail to an abandoned freighter. That was over an hour ago.”

Gavin was on his feet in an instant, LED red. “Then why the fuck are we still standing here? Let’s go. If you won’t go look for him, I’ll do it myself.”

”I’ll see what I can do, Gavin. But I can’t just run off in search of my brother without a word. You are already on thin ice and I would hate to see anything happen to you if your...” Connor lowered his voice so that none of his human coworkers could hear him. “Deviancy was discovered. So please, try to avoid doing anything rash. I’m going to speak to Captain Fowler.”

The android gave a huff of annoyance, eyes narrowed and hands balled into fists at his sides. “He could be dead. Your twin fucking brother could be dead and you’re worried about goddamn protocols?”

Connor frowned at that, fixing Gavin with an unfazed stare. “It wouldn’t be the first time that Richard has gone off on his own to investigate a lead on a case. And he has never once failed to return. Like I said, I’ll talk to Captain Fowler and explain the situation. Please, for your own sake, do not do anything that could put you at risk.”

He wanted to ignore Connor’s words, to storm off and do what he felt needed to be done. But instead, Gavin simply sighed and nodded his head. “Fine. I’ll give you five minutes.”

It was the best offer he would give and Connor didn’t seem to object. The lieutenant simply gave a short nod before heading to the captain’s office. Impatiently, the android tapped his foot against the floor before doing a search for the detective’s cell phone number. It was easily acquired and Gavin wasted no time in attempting to contact him. It went straight to voicemail and Gavin just barely refrained from cursing out loud in frustration. From what he knew of Richard, the detective never shut off his phone. It was always on in case of emergency, one never knew when something important would come up. And Richard didn’t like being left out of the loop, from what Gavin had gathered.

The android was very close to storming into the captain’s office to inform Connor that the likelihood of Richard needing help was almost at a hundred percent, when the lieutenant returned.

”Hank, Gavin, you’re coming with me.”His tone left no room for argument, not that Gavin would argue. He’d been wanting to leave the minute he figured that Richard was in trouble. But as Connor had stated, he was on thin ice from his fight with Hank earlier. Leaving without permission would raise even more red flags and draw the attention of Captain Fowler. Gavin wouldn’t let that happen, even if it meant that he had to pretend to be a machine with no free will.

Gavin straightened up, his LED cycling between yellow and red, before following Connor and muttering obscenities under his breath. Richard was supposed to include him in all aspects of the case, they were partners. And for the most part, he had. Until now, apparently. And Gavin was seething over the fact that Richard hadn’t even thought to tell him that he’d gotten a lead.

”Your stress levels just went from fifty to seventy-five.”

”I don’t need some second rate android telling me what my stress levels are. I already know them, dipshit.” The words were spoken through his teeth and Gavin’s hands were balled into fists. “I’m much more advanced than you are, I can keep track of my own vitals, thanks.”

”Whether you keep track of them or not, you still need to calm down. You’ll be no help to your partner otherwise.”

Gavin hated that Hank was right about that, but he was. His scowl only deepened and he focused on trying calm himself down, to not think about what they may or may not find at the docks.

”Didn’t think you’d be so worried over your partner.” Hank mused, arching a brow. The words made Gavin stiffen and he made an annoyed sound.

I’m not worried. I’m pissed off that he decided to investigate a lead on our case without me. And probably managed to fuckin’ get himself killed. Humans are idiots.”

The other android didn’t say anything, but Gavin could tell he didn’t believe him. Hell, Gavin wasn’t sure he believed himself. But it didn’t matter, finding his idiot of a partner mattered, so he focused all of his attention on that.

”Gavin.” The sound of Connor’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see warm, worried brown eyes watching him. “As Richard’s android, you are far more attuned to him than anyone else. Your highly advanced model gives you skills that will come in handy.”

”First of all, I’m not his android. So you can fuck right off with that.” Gavin growled, eyes narrowed at Connor. “And second of all, I’m not some goddamn tool, alright?”

You’re his partner, Gavin. I may be his twin, but I’m not an android, I don’t have the skill set required. I can’t just scan an area and pick up a trail in seconds. You can, Gavin. And it’s why I need you. And I have a feeling that Richard would want his partner there.”

”My ‘partner’ might be fuckin’ dead in the river somewhere. I don’t think he can want much of anything.” Gavin snorted, giving a roll of his eyes before pushing past the lieutenant. “So let’s just get a move on, asshole.”

The sooner they found Richard, the sooner Gavin could get some fucking peace and quiet.

           _____________

A groan of pain left his lips when he opened his eyes and Richard pressed gentle fingers against the back of his head. There was blood, that explained the dizziness. And there was darkness, complete and total darkness. There wasn’t any way of seeing his way out and he’d lost too much blood to attempt feeling his way out. Though judging by the darkness and the lack of sufficient oxygen, he was trapped. Panic started to claw at his chest and Richard squeezed his eyes shut. He had never been claustrophobic to the point of having panic attacks. But being trapped with no foreseeable way out, with a head wound that seemed to still be bleeding? It was making his heart rate increase to what might be dangerous levels.

Richard’s only consolation, was that he’d called in before deciding to explore the freighter. If Fowler didn’t send someone after him, Connor would come anyway. His brother was a notorious worrier when it came to him. Not that Richard could blame him. He hadn’t made things easy for either of them growing up. Or currently, either.

Richard’s thoughts went back to his days at the academy. To Holden Banes. They’d been close, competitive even. But Richard had always been that one step ahead, just the slightest bit better. Due to his high scores on everything, Holden had given him the nickname Nines. They’d become partners once they started working for the DPD, quickly going from beat cops to detectives and well on their way to making it further up the ranks. Until a group of androids ambushed Holden on a case. By the time help had arrived, the man had bled out. In Richard’s arms.

It was appropriate that the thoughts came to him now of all times. When he himself had been ambushed by deviants. Poetic, wasn’t it? Almost as if it was a punishment, payback for his years of hatred and mistrust of androids. For the way he’d hunted deviant after deviant after Holden had been murdered. It had almost cost him his badge, that revenge. The only reason he was even still on the force was Connor and his ability to persuade almost everyone.

Gavin was the only android he hadn’t treated with open hostility in a long time. Maybe that was Connor’s influence, or maybe it was his own need to prove that he’d somehow moved on from his partner’s death. Richard wasn’t quite sure. But he supposed it was a good thing he could be civil with the android, losing his badge was not something he wanted to think about. Being a cop was all he knew how to be and without that? Richard wasn’t sure what he’d be anymore.

But none of that mattered at the moment, did it? Not when his head was bleeding, not when he was losing oxygen. If Connor didn’t arrive, he’d be dead. And he had no idea what would happen to Gavin if that were to happen. And Richard found that it bothered him. It shouldn’t, Gavin was an android. Deviant and with emotions or not, he was a machine. He wasn’t human, it shouldn’t matter. Richard felt around for his phone before he remembered that it had fallen. There likely wouldn’t be a signal anyway. His gun was also missing, which was more worrisome.

Fowler would rip into him over the loss of his gun. If he ever made it out of here, that is. All he could do, was wait for Connor.

             _____________

”There’s thirium. It’s an old trail, probably the one Richard found when he got here.” Gavin spoke, eyes glancing around. “It’s already starting to fade.”

It was quiet, too quiet. And Gavin didn’t it like it, made him uneasy. His LED was cycling between red and yellow, giving away his turbulent emotions. Stepping away from the thirium trail, Gavin pushed a hand through his hair and sighed.

”Gavin. Come look at this.” Connor’s voice made him turn, arching a brow. But he walked over anyway.

”What is it? Find something useful?”

”Blood. Not blue blood, human blood. It might be nothing, but it looks recent.”

Gavin didn’t quite like the implications of that. Blood, if it was Richard’s, meant he was injured. There was no telling how hurt he was, how much blood he could be losing. Gavin didn’t want to return to CyberLife, didn’t want the risk of them finding out he was deviant. If Richard died, Gavin wouldn’t have a choice. Kneeling down, he got a good look at the blood. A scan told him Connor was right, that it was recent. Luckily there was a trail and Gavin followed it to a section of the docks filled with old shipping containers, all stacked on top of each other.

”The blood trail stops here. If it’s Richard’s blood, he’s in one of these crates.”

Connor gave a nod of his head, pulling out his phone and making a call to the station. They’d be on standby in case they were needed.

”Most of these look like they haven’t been touched in years. Abandoned like the rest of the docks and half of Detroit.” Hank grumbled, looking around.

”Like you should be?” Gavin shot back, giving the other android another glare. He turned away after a moment, giving the area another scan. “There’s more blood up there, he’s at the top.”

“I’m not goin’ up there.” Hanks voice caused Gavin to roll his eyes, it was as expected.

“Of course you’re not, you’re a second rate, outdated hunk of junk. I doubt you could even make it up there in one piece.”

Gavin, that’s enough!” Connor snapped, growing tired of the bickering androids. “Can you get up there to follow the blood trail?”

It was high up, a little too high. For all the shit he gave Hank, Gavin wasn’t sure he could do it. Past experiences have made heights a very legitimate fear and he could feel the panic settling in at just seeing how high up it was. He didn’t respond to Connor’s question, almost ignoring him.

Gavin?” Connor spoke again, the android could practically hear the frown. “Everything alright?”

”’Course everything’s okay. Just peachy.” Sarcasm dripped from his words and Gavin rolled his eyes. He didnt have a choice, not if he wanted to get Richard out alive. “I need to figure out the best way to get up there, alright? I’ve got this.”

His words held all the confidence that he didn’t feel, the bravado that simply came naturally to someone who had spent years learning how to hide their emotions. Hide their fear. He would get this done, endure it like he did everything else. Because like always, Gavin didn’t have a choice. He didn’t have a say in what he did. It was simply an order, an objective to complete. And he hated it, but he’d survived much worse, hadn’t he?

Stepping back to better examine his environment, Gavin scanned the nearby containers for potential routes. The containers themselves were tall, making it impractical to lift himself up on each one with nearly no space to get a running start, but it could potentially be done. Nearby was an old, rusting crane that would allow access to the container in question, but the structural integrity of the crane itself required further analysis before attempting. And finally, there was a fallen container that could act as a ramp up to the next layer of containers, though not as close to the target container as Gavin would like.

Targeting the crane first, as it was the most straightforward route, the precalculation software embedded in his programming began to run dozens of simulations as his analysis identified the structure more closely. Calculating his weight against the rusted metal internally, the preconstruction simulated through several seconds of perfectly targeted steps and speed, vaulting over damaged stairs and debris in a preplanned parkour only he could see. But at the top of the crane, near the stairs, a bright red error appeared across the HUD making up his enhanced vision.

_Simulation failure: Foundational damage—structure collapse imminent. Unable to reconcile route._

He tried again, targeting the containers this time. His precalculation software once again provided him with a simulation but it too, failed. The container was rusted at the edges and would break beneath his weight, sending him to the ground and leaving him with no way to get to Richard. Gavin can feel his panic increasing with each failed simulation, clawing at his chest and threatening to swallow him whole. But he keeps trying. There’s one more route to explore and Gavin isn’t stopping until he’s found one that’s successful or he exhausts all of his options.

Gavin focuses once more. If he gets enough of a running start, he can run up the fallen container. The simulation plays out, leaving him two options. He could land on the container below, but that same red error from before appeared across his HUD.

_Simulation failure: Foundational damage—structure collapse imminent. Unable to reconcile route._

That wouldn’t work. The only option left was to grab onto the container ahead and pull himself up onto it. After that, getting Richard out shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

_Simulation success: Continue?_

Gavin didn’t waste another second. He took off into a sprint, running up the side of the fallen container and grabbing onto the one above, lifting himself onto it with ease. From there, he jumped up onto the container closest to the one he suspected Richard was in, pausing only a moment to calculate a way to get to his destination. He didn’t look down, refused to. What mattered was his objective.

_Get Richard to safety._

Using all of the strength he possessed, Gavin managed to get the container open and made a sound of relief. Richard was alive, he didn’t need a scan to tell him that, but he was injured. There was wound to the back of his head and the man had been running dangerously low on oxygen. As gently as he could, to avoid aggravating the injury, Gavin wrapped his arm around Richard and pulled the man to his feet.

”You’re a fuckin’ idiot, you know that?” The android hissed through his teeth, supporting all of Richard’s weight when it was clear he couldn’t do it on his own. “We’re partners, asshole. You’re supposed to take me with you before you do something stupid and nearly get yourself killed.”

”Forgot.” Richard managed to speak, wincing. “Being reckless and stupid is your job, isn’t it?”

I can leave your ungrateful ass here, you know. I have no problems with that. It’ll make it easier for me to get back down. Less weight to fuckin’ drag around.” Gavin muttered, shifting so that he could better hold on to his partner. And he finally looked down, hoping to find a faster way to get them both down safely. He was fidgeting, nervous and more than a little anxious. And of course Richard picked up on it.

“You’re scared of heights.” It wasn’t a question, the observant bastard. Gavin grit his teeth and instead of answering, he stepped out of container and lifted Richard up so he was almost draped over his shoulder. “Gavin, put me down.”

Once more, Gavin ignored him. He didn’t need to calculate a route down. It wasn’t as though he’d be needing to get back up so if the containers all fell apart beneath their weight, it didn’t matter. As long as they got down in one piece. Gavin’s speed and his sharp reflexes aided them in making it back to the ground, the containers bending and groaning beneath his feet before some of them collapsed. Gavin didn’t relax even a little until both of his feet were firmly planted on solid ground, Richard’s as well.

”Fuckin’ show off, FBI prick. Sendin’ his goddamn combat tank to show us all up.” It was Hank. And while it made Gavin tense up, he said nothing. He’d proven his many points about his superiority already, what the outdated android had to sat didn’t matter.

”Nines! Thank god you’re okay.” Connor spoke, worry and relief coloring his words as he hovered, brown eyes roaming over his brother. “Hank! Get an ambulance here, please. Nines needs to get this head wound looked at.”

Gavin stood there, arms still around Richard to keep him upright. There was a frown on his lips and his LED was flickering between yellow and red.

”You’re lucky that Gavin was here, I’ve never seen an android do what he did to get you out of there safely. You should thank him.”

Richard didn’t verbally respond, leaning heavily on Gavin, but he did make a soft huff. More of his weight pressed against Gavin’s side and the android took it, holding him up a little more.

”He doesn’t need to thank me, it was whatever.” Gavin muttered with a shrug of his shoulder. Thank yous made him uncomfortable, made him feel like there was some ulterior motive behind it. “He just needs to get his dumb ass to a hospital and try not to nearly get himself killed again.”

“Ambulance is on the way. DPD is gonna need a statement from him when he’s able.” Hank finally spoke up again, watching the scene with a frown. “I don’t know how much he’ll be able to tell them, though.”

Richard looked up, still pressing all his weight into Gavin’s side. He winced before speaking. “I don’t remember much. The only thing I saw from the androids who attacked me, was their LEDs. That’s the only reason I knew they were androids.”

Just stop talking, dipshit. You’re hurt and dangerously close to passing out from a combination of pain and blood loss. The lack of oxygen up there didn’t help and there’s a high chance you have a concussion. I wouldn’t tempt fate any more than you have.”

The detective’s response was a snort. “Worried about me, Gavin? I didn’t know you were capable of it.”

I’m not worried, idiot, I scanned your vitals to see if dropping you on your ass was okay or not. It’s your brother who’s worried.” Gavin scoffed, rolling his eyes. Maybe he was worried and maybe he cared at least a little bit about Richard’s well-being. After all, it was connected to his own for now and Gavin wanted to survive for as long as he could. He wanted to be as safe as one could be given his situation. Deviant when deviancy was punishable by death. Deviant in the heart of a police precinct where he was tasked with finding and turning in other deviants. It wasn’t ideal. “Just shut the fuck up and get your goddamn head fixed.”

There was a distant sound of sirens that grew closer and Gavin fell silent, hands at his sides as he resumed the role of the obedient machine once again. Maybe someday he wouldn’t have to play pretend anymore, but Gavin had long since lost his ability to be hopeful.

            ______________

Richard woke again with a groan, squinting at the top bright lights and pristine white walls. The steady sound of beeping reached his ears and he sighed, shifting enough to attempt sitting up.

”I would not do that if I were you, detective.”He frowned at the unfamiliar voice and turned his head to find the source of it. An android. It made Richard tense somewhat, his frown deepening.

”Who are you?” Richard didn’t mean for his tone to sound as harsh as it did. The android took no notice of it anyway, though, so he supposed it wasn’t a big deal. Gavin would have tensed at it, made some defensive comment in return. Richard didn’t want to think about Gavin, however, not now. There was too much there that he wanted to avoid, to ignore and pretend didn’t exist. As he always did.

”An MT700, detective. I was your nurse for the duration of your stay.” It was spoken with a voice not dissimilar to a human nurse and the android had a pleasant smile. But it didn’t make him feel any less uncomfortable.

“Right. I don’t plan on staying much longer, I feel fine and I have work I need to be doing.”

The MT700’s LED spun yellow before they spoke again. “You lost a lot of blood, detective. The blunt force trauma to the back of your skull didn’t cause any severe brain damage, but it is in your best interest to spend the next few days resting. We kept you here overnight, but you are free to go. Make sure you follow all the instructions and restrictions you will be given upon discharge.”

“I don’t take time off work.” Connor called him a workaholic and maybe he was right, but Richard’s job meant a great deal to him. Maybe if he worked hard enough, if he didn’t take sick days or vacation time, he’d make it to lieutenant. Maybe, in some way, he could make up for failing his partner. And maybe, just maybe, he could finally stop feeling so guilty.

”You had a head wound, Detective Stern. There are considerable risks if you return to your field of work and it is recommended that you wait at least a week before resuming your duties in law enforcement. I am sure your captain will tell you this as well, should you attempt to go back to work.”

The scowl on his face didn’t seem to faze the android, who simply stared at him with an expression lacking any emotion. Once more, Richard found it different, odd even, to be in the presence of an android who wasn’t deviant, who couldn’t feel. He was far too used to Hank. And Gavin, but Richard was still choosing to ignore that little detail. Connor would have more than a few words to say to him over it, but he would ignore those as well.

”You will be given a prescription for the pain. Please do not take more than the recommended dosage and do not take it longer than what it is stated on the label.”

The words nearly made him roll his eyes. “Of course.”

”I will get your discharge papers and then you will be free to go. Please do get some rest, detective.”

              ___________

The deep inhale of cigarette smoke seemed to make all the tension bleed out of him and steel eyes closed, head leaned back against the wall. Silence was a much welcomed thing, though it didn’t last long. The sound of Gavin’s footsteps broke Richard from his internal self reflection and he sighed, opening his eyes to fix his gaze on the android.

”I distinctly remember telling you that I was fine and didn’t need anything.”

Gavin snorted, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. “I’m aware.”

“So why are you here, then, Gavin?” Richard didn’t sound annoyed, just tired. Due to the blunt force trauma to the back of his head, he’d been told to stay home until he was deemed well enough to return to the precinct. Connor and Hank were taking over the case temporarily. And Gavin was to stay with him to ensure that he didn’t do anything stupid.

“That cigarette is doing more damage to your health than that fucking metal pipe did. It’s a fuckin’ cancer stick and you’re polluting your lungs with it. Not to mention the damage the secondhand smoke is doing to my vital processes. I may be a highly advanced prototype, but I can’t filter out cigarette smoke the way other androids can, asshole. I was designed to be as close to human as possible.”

Damaging to his vital processes. Something about that struck him as odd, even for an android designed to appear more human than most. With a heavy sigh, Richard put the cigarette out in the ash tray on the floor next to him. “What do you mean it’s damaging to your vital processes?”

The android simply shrugged a shoulder. “You may not consider it vital, not to an android, but my simulated breathing is adversely affected by the smoke. I may not need to breathe like a human does, but the feature wasn’t just to make me appear more human. It functions as a way to keep my biocomponents from overheating. If my internal temperature increased too much, everything would start shutting down one by one. Not something as easily fixed as a broken nose.”

Richard straightened up, eyes still on Gavin as his frown only deepened. “Something tells me you know this from experience rather than just in depth information about your model.”

His words only gained him another shrug and the android looked away, confirming the suspicion. The list of ways Gavin had been misused by the FBI was only growing longer, much to his dismay.

”Enough about me, asshole. I made food, you need to eat. There wasn’t much, because apparently you live more like some twenty year old college brat than a functional adult of thirty-six, but it’s something at least.” Gavin didn’t make any attempt to walk away, turning his gaze to Richard again as he waited for the man to stand. When he didn’t, Gavin pushed himself away from the doorframe with a frown of his own. “That isn’t a request, detective.”

“What are you going to do, Gavin, force me?”

”If that’s what it comes down to, yeah. You and I both know you don’t stand a chance against me, so why don’t we just do this the easy way? Save you the humiliation of getting your ass handed to you by an android again.”

His response was only a huff of annoyance before he stood to his feet, tossing the pack of cigarettes onto his bed. “I think I’ve dealt with enough... unfortunate circumstances to last me a while, don’t you?”

That’s what I thought.” Gavin’s tone was nothing short of amused as he left the room, returning to Richard’s dining room. “The only thing you had that was substantial was spaghetti. You didn’t actually have tomato sauce, so I had to improvise with the shit you did have. Who the fuck has tomatoes but no tomato sauce?”

Someone who doesn’t like things to get messy. And who also isn’t a fan of tomato sauce in general.” Richard spoke, eyeing the food on his table with an arch of his brow. “However, I’ll make an exception this time. I’m already dealing with a head wound, I don’t need an android sized headache on top of it.”

”If you don’t like what I make, then be sure you have something available next time that you’ll actually want. Otherwise? Sit down, shut up, and eat the fucking spaghetti.”

He huffed at that, but made no further arguments as he sat down. Gavin‘s eyes on him made Richard feel a little uneasy.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t stand there and watch me eat, Gavin. Most humans would consider that to be unsettling.”

“Like I give two fucks whether or not you find it unsettling.” Gavin simply shrugged a shoulder, arms folded over his chest. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on you. Make sure you don’t do stupid shit. If that means making you uncomfortable while you eat? I’m fine with that.”

Of course he was, the smug bastard. Richard briefly wondered if Gavin was amused by the entire ordeal. But then he remembered how he’d sounded at the docks, remembered the look in his eyes. With a heavy sigh, he didn’t say anything more as he ate. It was actually good, which was surprising considering Gavin wasn’t a housekeeper model. He shouldn’t have programs for cooking or any sort of home care.

”How do you know how to cook?”

Gavin’s entire body immediately tensed and he looked away, LED switching between red and yellow. “Does it really fuckin’ matter? Consider yourself lucky that I do know, alright? Or your dumb ass would’ve starved.”

Richard paused, eyeing Gavin as he set the fork down. “Gavin. Look at me.”

There was obvious hesitation before the android turned his head to once again look at the detective. His LED was red, now, and he was very obviously still tense.

“You already know that I won’t hurt you. Or at least, I hope you know that. I’m not going to attempt forcing you to tell me what happened, because it’s not my place and you wouldn’t tell me anyway.” He waited a moment before speaking again. “But I would hope that, by now, you would realize that I am not whoever hurt you. I’m fairly certain that I’ve proven that to you.”

Slowly, the tension in Gavin’s shoulders lessened. His LED didn’t change, but he didn’t seem as stressed as he’d been.

”Maybe you’re not him, and maybe you won’t ever be like him.” Gavin’s voice was quiet. “But don’t expect me to just suddenly trust you, you haven’t quite earned that yet.”

Richard didn’t respond, knowing that any further attempt to continue the conversation would be met with resistance. And as he’d told Gavin, he wasn’t going to try and force him to talk. That would do neither of them any good. So he ate in partial silence, the scraping of his fork against the plate the only sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An explanation for why Nines is Nines and further insight into Gavin. I would also like to note, since I forgot to earlier, that over half of Gavin’s prereconstructing the proper route was written by a dear friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
> 
>  
> 
> Come yell at me on Twitter @TricksterJae


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin looked away again, hands balled into fists at his sides. His stress levels were rising and he could feel his internal temperature increasing. Taking a breath, the android shook his head. “I want what I’ve always wanted. To be left alone, to not be dragged into the problems of everyone else like I’m some fucking pawn in a war I never wanted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey. It’s me again, hello. This took atrociously long to update, that’s because life is severely kicking my ass right now. But!! Here it is chapter 7! Some shit happens. Enjoy?
> 
> As always, this is unbeta’d. So, you know. Typos and shit are all my fault.

“What do you mean you’re taking my case?” Richard’s tone was angry and it made Gavin arch a brow from where he stood, back against the wall. But he didn’t interrupt. “This is my case, Connor. Injury or not.”

“I’m sorry, Rich. The captain wants this taken care of quickly and with you on medical leave, he had few options.”

“I am perfectly capable of doing my job. If Fowler would just listen to reason—”

“The only one not listening to reason is you. I’m sorry, but Hank managed to find another lead and I have to go.” Connor didn’t even give him a moment to say anything else before the call ended. Before Gavin could react, Richard had flung the phone across the room and it broke against the wall.

“Just how many phones do you go through in a week? With your salary, you likely spend more money on new phones than you do on food. And given that you don’t have a lot of food in your kitchen, I’m clearly right.”

“What I do or do not do with my salary is frankly none of your business, Gavin. And I would appreciate it if you would keep your idle thoughts to yourself.”

“Fine, you wanna get fucked up by making shitty life choices, that’s on you. But don’t forget I tried to fucking help you.” Gavin shook his head, arms folded across his chest.

“Help.” The word was followed by a laugh that lacked amusement. “From an android who can’t even help himself. Yes, because I’m going to take life advice from an FBI agent’s toy.”

Gavin’s LED glowed red and his entire body was tense and rigid, hands now balled into fists at his sides. “I’m _not_ his fucking toy, first of all. And second? Fuck you. You don’t know the first fucking thing about me, asshole. But you? You’re easy to read. Fucking prick.”

Richard didn’t say anything, ignoring Gavin as he turned and stepped into his kitchen, fully intent on grabbing the first bottle of whiskey he could find.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Everything about Gavin’s tone had the detective gritting his teeth, biting back another angry remark. “Hey, I’m talkin’ to you asshole.”

“I’m getting a drink, Gavin. If you have a problem with that, you can take it elsewhere.”

“Like hell I’m gonna take it elsewhere. You’re on medication and shouldn’t be drinking—” Gavin started to argue, taking a step towards Richard. The detective in question fixed him with a cold hard stare.

“I’m in no mood to deal with this sober, Gavin. And seeing as this is my apartment, and you are just the nuisance forced to stay with me until I’m medically deemed ready to return to work, I would highly suggest that you do not attempt to stop me.”

“You are aware that I am faster, stronger _and_ smarter than you, right? If you think I’m not able to stop you, you’re a fucking idiot. But I already knew you were.” Gavin didn’t stop,LED yellow as he kept his gaze on Richard. “You need to stop and think for one goddamn second. This isn’t about the case, is it. You know for a fact that Connor and Hank will do it the justice you feel it fucking deserves. So what is it? You’re always trying to get me to talk about shit with you, so maybe you should return the favor. Not like I’m gonna tell anyone.”

Richard didn’t make any further attempts to grab the whiskey bottle and a heavy sigh left his lips. “It doesn’t matter, Gavin. Just leave it.”

The android shook his head. “You know, I made an effort to trust you. Against every instinct telling me it was a terrible fucking idea. And this is what I have to show for it. Fine, you wanna clam up and get drunk? Be my guest, I’m done here.”

“Gavin, wait—”

“No. Do you have any idea how much fucking shit I went through? And you continuously tried to get me to talk to you about it despite me telling you how much I didn’t want to.” Gavin’s hands were fists at his sides and his eyes narrowed. “Funny how it’s okay to try and subtly force the android to talk, we’re just machines, right? But the _minute_ I ask you to trust me, to tell me what’s going on so maybe I can come with a solution your stubborn human brain won’t think of, you immediately back out. Trust is a two way fucking street, asshole. If you want me to trust you, you gotta trust me too.”

There was a long moment of silence and Gavin shook his head, turning to walk away.

“Wait.” That word made him pause but he didn’t turn around, waiting for the detective to continue speaking. “Connor says I have... control issues. I don’t like unpredictability and I loathe surprises. If I can’t control a situation, it makes me uncomfortable. I have been... _attempting_ to work on that. But, as you witnessed, it’s not exactly easy.”

“Yeah, I guessed the control issues from the start. I had a controlling partner before you, I know the signs. Though he was... a little more aggressive than you. Unpredictable and uncontrollable people don’t seem to bother you nearly as much as it did him.” Gavin finally turned to look at him. “Situations can’t alway be controlled. There’s always something you don’t expect, a variable you didn’t plan for.”

“I’m perfectly aware of that, Gavin. My issues with control stem from a childhood that got turned upside down.” He leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest. “I was six years old when my parents were murdered. We were taken in by a close friend of the family and the case eventually went cold. It’s the reason Connor and I both decided to join the force.”

Gavin listened, frown on his lips. “I’m sorry. I can’t understand what losing family is like. Being an android, I don’t have any. But I imagine it was hard.”

“It was. Though I wouldn’t even remember what they look like were it not for the photo Connor carries around with him. I don’t really miss them. Connor, though, he never forgot them.” Richard was quiet for a moment after that. “They say the trauma of it all caused me to subconsciously push away my memories of them, but I don’t know if I believe that.”

“Trauma doesn’t always work like that.” Gavin’s voice was quiet, LED flickering red for a brief moment.

“And you would know, given all you’ve been through.”

“Yeah, I would. But it’s different for me. I’m an android, a machine. I could have my memories erased, but I can’t do it myself. Elijah Kamski didn’t really bother to do that when he repaired me. He only fixed or replaced the busted biocomponents. He didn’t do anything internal.”

That gave him pause. “Elijah Kamski was the one who repaired you?”

Gavin nodded his head. “Yeah. Muttered something feeling responsible for me or some shit. I don’t know all the details. Just that he repaired me and then for some reason, I ended up sent here. Guess the rest of CyberLife decided the DPD needed another prototype.”

Richard was silent for a long moment, processing. Elijah Kamski was someone he’d known for a long time, too long in his opinion. His mother’s prized student and her favorite, other than Connor. The man was egotistical to the extreme and lacked proper moral boundaries. Richard hated him.

“Detective? Somethin’ wrong?” He frowned. “You don’t need an LED for me to know your brain is working overtime.”

“It’s nothing to worry about. I just wasn’t aware that Kamski was personally involved with you.” Richard shrugged his shoulders, expression returning neutral. “Not every busted up android can claim that the former CEO of CyberLife crawled out of hiding to repair them.”

Gavin shrugged a shoulder. “No, they can’t. I don’t know what his motives were, he didn’t exactly tell me. Most of it was just muttering under his breath about how he was sorry. I don’t fucking know what that was about.”

Elijah had never been sorry for anything in his life. At least, not that Richard could recall. He’d always liked playing god, messing with the balance of things in the name of progress.

“I can’t image what he’d have to be sorry about. Creator of the androids, youngest multi billionaire the world has seen in centuries I’d imagine. And yet the world suffers from his creations. Countless people across the country are jobless and homeless because a machine took their place. No training needed, just a program that lets them do anything perfectly.” He stepped away from Gavin, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and the bottle of whiskey from the counter. Richard sighed heavily as he took that first drink. “No, I can’t imagine he’s sorry at all.”

Gavin frowned at that, arms folded across his chest as he watched the detective take another drink. “You really don’t like androids, do you?”

“I didn’t like what androids represent.” Richard spoke after a small moment of silence. “And then you all started deviating, breaking free from your programming. Like a switch had been turned on and suddenly you were not only stronger and smarter and faster, you could also feel. Do you know how much android related crimes have skyrocketed since deviancy has become so widespread, with this entire ‘revolution’ happening?”

He opened his mouth to speak, to say something. But the human turned to look at him again and Gavin snapped his mouth shut.

“You’re too busy trying to figure out what’s happening to you that you don’t see what’s happening to everyone else.” Richard took another drink, leaning back against the counter. Steel grey eyes rested on Gavin’s face and something uncomfortable twisted in his biocomponents.

“Do you tell that to every trauma victim? Or do you just think I don’t count as one because I’m an android?” Gavin shook his head, something like bitterness spilling from his lips in the form of a huff. “Fuck you, asshole. You don’t know what I went through. You don’t get to act like I’m some selfish piece of shit because god forbid I don’t put all my focus on humans and their problems.”

“And we’re supposed to focus on the issues of androids?” The question was asked with an arch of a brow and Gavin almost laughed at how stupid he sounded.

“Did I ask you to focus on me and my issues? And why the fuck is our freedom such a problem?” His LED was flickering wildly between red and yellow. “Because humans are too fucking lazy to do shit by themselves? Or is it because the majority of humanity doesn’t want to admit that they’re abusive fucking assholes? Because that’s what most of you are. You think that even though we look human, we’re nothing but plastic and machinery. That we can’t fucking feel. So you think it’s okay to shove us around, steal our thirium to make drugs, to fuck us without asking if we want it. And then you shut us down when we react to that abuse in the only way we know how to. Humans don’t understand emotions anymore than a deviant android does. But at least you have your entire lives to get used to them. We go deviant and are suddenly attacked by all of these feelings at once, we don’t have time to get used to them. They just _happen_. And even if we have the entire internet and human history at our fingertips, we don’t know how to deal with them. The first feeling an android typically feels when they go deviant, is fear. You know what fear does to humans. Do you know what it does to an android?”

Richard started to speak, the words just barely on his tongue before Gavin continued.

“It was rhetorical fucking question, dipshit. We react to it like humans do in most cases. Believe it or not, Dick, we aren’t that different from you.” He could see the crimson of his LED reflected in the glass Richard had in his hands. “But because we aren’t supposed to be like you, no one notices or cares. You’d rather continue to push us around because you don’t like us, or you’re intimidated by our existence. I saved your ass back at the docks. You would have died if it weren’t for me and this is the fucking thanks I get.”

“I didn’t need you to save me, Gavin.” Richard’s voice sounded tired.

“Don’t you go there. You don’t get to play that card, asshole.”

“What do you want from me? If I don’t care enough, I’m an asshole. And if I try to say that I deserved what happened, you tell me I’m not allowed. Make up your mind.”

Gavin looked away again, hands balled into fists at his sides. His stress levels were rising and he could feel his internal temperature increasing. Taking a breath, the android shook his head. “I want what I’ve always wanted. To be left alone, to not be dragged into the problems of everyone else like I’m some fucking pawn in a war I never wanted.”

Richard didn’t say anything further to that and Gavin left the room, not bothering to look back as he sat down on the couch.

Fingers brushed through Sebastian’s fur, synthetic skin glitching and deactivating in places. His stress levels had dropped some, the feeling of Sebastian’s fur and the sound of the cat purring helped to soothe some of the emotions crashing through him. But not enough to stop the malfunctions from being obvious.

“Gavin.” He didn’t look up when Richard spoke, Gavin didn’t speak either. “Gavin?”

With a sigh, he finally spoke. “What the fuck do you want now?”

“I want to... apologize.” That made Gavin look up, LED gold as he processed the words. Richard wanted to apologize. To him? He frowned. “I may have overreacted and I’m sorry.”

“You ‘may have’ overreacted.” The android repeated, arching a brow. “Understatement of the fucking year.”

Richard sighed, pushing a hand through his hair as he sat down on the chair across from Gavin. He glanced at the android with a frown, eyes drawn to the malfunctioning skin on his hands. “Are you alright?”

Gavin snorted, looking back down at the cat who’d voiced his displeasure at the fact that he had stopped receiving attention. He resumed petting him. “Now you wanna know if I’m okay? No, I’m not okay. Thought that was obvious.”

“What happened to your hand? It wasn’t like that before.”

“None of your fuckin’ business, dipshit.” Gavin stared down at the cat, LED flickering to red. “Why does it matter to you?”

“Look, Gavin, I’m sorry. For before.” Another apology. Maybe the world was ending after all. “Connor tells me I shouldn’t be so harsh to androids, to anyone. I’m not accustomed to being vulnerable in any sense of the word and since I’ve gained you as a partner, I have been vulnerable in almost every sense. Emotionally stunted, I believe, is what Connor calls it.”

“That and you have a giant fucking stick up your ass.”

“The point I’m trying to make, Gavin, is that I am making an attempt to rectify my behavior towards you. I don’t make apologies often, as I’m sure you have guessed already.” Richard’s hands were on his lap, lacking the glass of whiskey he’d been drinking before. “And as I’ve said before to you, you do not have to tell me anything you don’t want to. As curious as I am about what happened to you and how such a highly advanced android could have suffered such extensive permanent damage, I realize that it’s none of my business.”

After a moment of silence, Gavin slowly lifted his head to look at him. He didn’t see any hint of a lie in those eyes, that expression was the most open and honest he’d seen it be. “I don’t want to talk about what happened because I don’t want to relive it. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Alright. If you don’t mind, I’m going to sleep. If you need me, my bedroom is down the hall.” No more words were spoken after that and the detective walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still hanging around? Feel free to @ me on Twitter or something. TricksterKian over there.


End file.
